


Delight

by galacticlance



Series: Ruthari Week 2020 [4]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Universe, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hide and Seek, Looking after Rayla, Lost - Freeform, M/M, Pre-Canon, Ruthari Week, Ruthari Week 2020, look closely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:01:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22171462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galacticlance/pseuds/galacticlance
Summary: Ruthari Week 2020 Day 4Prompt: Lost|Look Closely------“Oh, you’ve made a friend!” Ethari reached a finger up to rub the creature’s belly area, making Rayla giggle once more at its squeaks. “What’re you going to name it?”“Ummmmm…” She frowned in concentration, clutching the burr close in her little hands.From below, Ethari smiled down at Runaan, still lying in the grass, idly twisting it around his fingers. A smile brighter than it had been for a long time, prompting the assassin to reach out and rest a hand on his fiance’s knee, giving a gentle squeeze.“Imma call him Squishy!” Rayla announced, holding the newly christened ‘Squishy’ out, presumably for Runaan to see.------Runaan and Ethari have been put on babysitting duty, but honestly? Runaan would never,evercomplain about getting an excuse to spend the day with Rayla and his fiance. The young girl is full of energy and brings a wanted distraction from the more serious parts of life.
Relationships: Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince), Lain/Tiadrin (The Dragon Prince)
Series: Ruthari Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1592854
Comments: 18
Kudos: 86





	Delight

**Author's Note:**

> This is by far the most rushed of the entire week. Written in an evening, almost posted without being beta'd. But never fear, it's here now. However, on this note, I will not have a piece up tomorrow, as I will be away. Life happens. I'll try get tomorrow's up friday, in addition to that day's. Imma die but oh welp. 
> 
> On a happier note, today's piece is another one of my absolute favourites. I adore the moon fam, and although this is only my first time properly writing them, I can tell you that they will be making a lot more appearances in the future.
> 
> If it were not for the absolutely amazing Tod, I can promise you that this would not be nearly as good as it is now. She jumped in last minute, when Ally couldn't, and honestly? Tod, you saved my life. She has [Twitter](https://twitter.com/DWreckoning) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/daywreckoning/).
> 
> I also got Ally to take a look over this as something didn't feel quite right. So now, several days later, I bring you the updated version and I tell you to go say hi to Ally on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/okerzaude)
> 
> Come say hi to my corpse on <[Twitter](https://twitter.com/galacticlance), [Tumblr](https://galacticlance.tumblr.com/), and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/galacticlance_/). Yes, the posts for insta are nonexistent. But I'll do them all at the end because I physically do not have the time.
> 
> Comment to make me smile for the rest of the day

“Ready o-or not, I’m coming!” Rayla’s voice, bright with youth, rang out across the meadow, making Runaan smile from his hiding place behind the big rock, as the three-and-a-half year old had so eloquently dubbed it. 

Ethari smiled from behind a bush, seemingly unaware of the adoraburr stuck to his hair, complementing the jewel of his engagement cuff perfectly. 

Tiadrin and Lain had left the pair in charge of their daughter for the day, so they could attend to some important Dragon Guard business. Neither had been posted anywhere for a very long time, they weren’t yet that high ranked. They were in training, so to say. Responsible for other duties, but Runaan knew how much they both yearned to be atop the Storm Spire, at the top of the world, protecting the only being able to keep (relative) peace in the land.

Ethari had eagerly agreed to look after Rayla, Runaan seconding the motion without a second thought. That was why there were here, in the adorrabur meadow, funnily enough a discovery of the toddler on a previous babysitting excursion, perhaps a month ago now. She had a curious spirit, Runaan could tell that with a single glance.

He was too absorbed in watching his beautiful fiance play with the adoraburrs, too absorbed in his smile and the light in his eyes to notice the tiny figure that had scrambled to the top of the rock. 

“I found you!” Rayla said around her giggles, launching herself down, unintentionally testing Runaan’s reflexes as he twisted to catch her. 

“Indeed you did, little flower.” He fell backwards with the momentum, Rayla still giggling in his arms. She escaped quickly and rolled about in the long grass, her laughs filling the air and bringing a smile to Runaan’s face, especially when she collided with Ethari. “Oh, Ralya, look! I think you’ve found someone else!” 

“‘’Thari!” Rayla scrambled up and jumped into the tinker’s arms, and Runaan moved closer to his fiance.

“Why hello there, starlight!” 

Runaan propped himself on an elbow to watch as Ethari popped Rayla up onto his shoulders, the girl still giggling. She spotted the stray adoraburr quickly, yanking it free from Ethari’s hair. Runaan couldn’t help but laugh at his partner’s yelp.

“Show Ethari what you’ve got, Rayla,” he prompted.

“I got a ador- adorbuh-burr!” She stumbled over the fuzzy little creature’s name, but dangled it enthusiastically in front of Ethari’s face nonetheless. 

“Oh, you’ve made a friend!” Ethari reached a finger up to rub the creature’s belly area, making Rayla giggle once more at its squeaks. “What’re you going to name it?” 

“Ummmmm…” She frowned in concentration, clutching the burr close in her little hands. 

From below, Ethari smiled down at Runaan, still lying in the grass, idly twisting it around his fingers. A smile brighter than it had been for a long time, prompting the assassin to reach out and rest a hand on his fiance’s knee, giving a gentle squeeze. 

“Imma call him Squishy!” Rayla announced, holding the newly christened ‘Squishy’ out, presumably for Runaan to see. 

“He’s very handsome,” Runaan agreed, “perhaps even more than Ethari. I might have to steal him from you.” 

“Hey!” Ethai stuck a leg out, kicking Runaan gently in the thigh. Runaan went with the momentum, falling onto his back. “Don’t you dare ditch me for an adoraburr, you pillock.”

“You love me though.” Runaan turned his head to smirk at Ethari. “And besides, Squishy is Rayla’s, I’d never break up such a happy couple.” He gestured to where Rayla was rubbing her cheek against the burr’s fur, eyes closed and smile wide. 

“No, I do,” Ethari conceded. “You’re still a pillock though.”

They were silent for a moment, the only sounds the squeaking of the adoraburr in Rayla’s hands. 

“Hey, Ralya, I think it’s time for another round of hide and seek, don’t you?” Runaan pushed himself up, checking for any burrs stuck to his person, pulling a maroon one from his hip and tossing it back into the grass. 

“Yes yes yes!” Well, nothing could be said about Rayla having no enthusiasm for anything. 

She scrambled back down Ethari, not waiting for his help and dropping into the grass with a small  _ thud _ but no visible damage. 

“Runaan, I do believe it’s your turn to count, is it not?” Ethari picked himself up, offering a hand to the assassin, which Runaan gladly took.

“I was under the same impression. Ooh, careful, little one,” he warned as Rayla darted between their legs, chasing Squishy. 

Runaan made his way to the designated counting area at the edge of the meadow, and turned away. “I’ll stand over here and count to fifty, and then I’ll be coming for you both,” he called, before putting his hands over his eyes and beginning to count. 

“One! Two! Three!”

He couldn’t contain his smile at the sounds of low whispers and childish giggles as the pair presumably hid. 

“Aaaand fifty! Here I come, ready or not!” He spun around to face a seemingly completely empty meadow. But no worry, he knew exactly what to do.

“Hmm, I can’t see anyone! I wonder where they’ve both gone! Are they oooover here?” He looked behind the rock he’d hidden by last round, but, as he predicted, all that met him was grass. “No, they’re not here. What aboooout  _ here _ ?” The bush Ethari had been behind similarly yielded nothing. “That’s strange, where  _ could _ they be? Do  _ you _ know, Mr Squishy?” He picked up the closest adoraburr, holding it close to his face, as if he really were consulting it. 

A giggle, from his right. Perfect.

“What was that you said? You thought you saw them by the old tree? Really?” He listened closely, hearing the not-so-subtle ‘ _ shushhh _ ’ of a small child, followed by another giggle, and a low chuckle. 

This was where the assassin training became useful. He stalked closer, moving without a sound, pressing up against the towering root he was certain they were both behind.

“Haha!” He jumped round, his guess correct. 

Rayla squealed and fell back, still laughing, and Ethari jumped, as much as Runaan knew he would deny it. 

“Found you both. Ethari, you should really work on being quiet,” he teased, crouching to help Rayla back up. 

“Oi, stop being mean, you big meanie.” Ethari reached out, taking a fistful of Runaan’s shirt and pulling him down as he lay, until Runaan was on top of him.

“Meanie, meanie, meanie!” Rayla chanted, poking Runaan’s arm.

Ethari ignored her, putting his arms around his fiance’s neck. “C’mere.” Runaan gave in as Ethari pulled him down for a kiss. 

It was short lived, however, what with Rayla still hyped up and bouncing around - literally. 

“What’re you doing?” She asked, still poking, but this time to get Runaan’s attention. 

“I’m giving Runaan a kiss,” Ethari replied with a chuckle. “See?” He kissed him again, a quick, smiling kiss.

“Why?” 

“Because I love him.” Ethari shrugged, grinning at the girl’s questions.

“I love Runaan too! Can I kiss him?” 

That sent both of them straight to laughter, even when Rayla continued to implore, hitting Runaan’s shoulder in semi-frustration.

“Of course you can, darling,” Ethari offered, once he’d regained the ability to speak coherently. 

Rayla’s little ‘yay’ was one of the cutest things Runaan had ever heard. She leant over, and, with as much delicacy as she could muster, pressed her mouth to Runaan’s cheek, coming away with a ‘muah’.

“Thank you, flower.” Runaan touched his cheek where she had, technically, kissed him. 

“And here’s one in return,” Ethari offered.

With his free arm, he scooped her up, pulling her close and smothering her with kisses, even when she squirmed in delight. 

“Hey, those are  _ my _ kisses!” Runaan complained, sitting up and removing himself from on top of his fiance. 

“Oh don’t be selfish, you get plenty of kisses from me.” Ethari sat as well, pulling Rayla into his lap. “It’s getting late, we should probably head home. We don’t want Tia to think we’re being irresponsible with her child.”   
“Good idea. Rayla, do you want to ride with Ethari or me?” Runaan got to his feet, taking her from Ethari and balancing her on his hip.  
“I wanna go with _you_.” She snuggled into him, suddenly tired, the adrenaline of the day wearing off. 

“Of course, flower. Let’s get going then.”

With Rayla between his knees and Ethari by his side, Runaan spurred his Moonstrider on, heading for home.

**Author's Note:**

> As you have probably guessed, I do not have a fic to rec. Again. I really am very, very sorry. 
> 
> Yeah so links be here:  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/galacticlance)  
> [Tumblr](https://galacticlance.tumblr.com/)  
> [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/galacticlance_/)
> 
> If you comment there is a high chance it'll get screenshotted and set as my desktop wallpaper so I can see it every day


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